Costume History & Fashion Legends

The compendium of fashion stories & mini essays that combine my special interest in the greatest secrets of historical fashion & costume legends. Since I have always liked to write stories and to find out the historical origins and development of the components of the costume, I have created content that shows the interaction between literary aspects and the work of fashion detective.

Once again ... this is the story of a beetle wings dress. This time it's a stage costume, which once created a great sensation. The use of glamorous and glittering beetle wings as a Victorian costume decoration was not just a manifestation of the 19th-century décor aesthetics. On the doorsteps of Edwardian fashion age the world was struck by impressive drama and marvelous stage performance costume that caused a sensation. Indeed. What a great combination!The famous British actress Dame Ellen Terry (1847-1928) was immortalized in the role of Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent who made a painted portrait of her just after attendance of the play "Macbeth". Sargent was one of the most famous society painters of the late 19th century. He attended the premiere of the new production of the play "Macbeth" at the Lyceum Theater in London on December 29, 1888... The painter was deeply thrilled at the sight of Ellen Terry in the role of Lady Macbeth. The famous American painter was deeply impressed by the depiction of the role of Lady Macbeth. And, of course, he was thrilled by the look of British actress and her iridescent greenish blue stage costume that was embroidered with the glittering beetle wings. Shortly after the show, followed an invitation to pose for the creation of the portrait. In 1889, the world became acquainted with a completely different lady Macbeth! Her dramatically highlighted posture, holding a crown of the next Scottish Queen raised above head, was Sargent's invention and as such, it was not seen previously in the "Macbeth"​

Legendary Stage Costume

Lady Macbeth's dress before restoration ​

So, Ellen Terry wore the legendary glittering green beetle wing stage costume that caused such a sensation... The Celtic Queen's dress with long, downward wrapped sleeves, a simple cut line and a low-waisted, heavy metal belt were inspired by Pre-raffaelite Movement and a Medieval atmosphere. Also it was a direct echo of the ideal of the Aesthetic Movement, so well-known at that time. As such it glorified the steam of the Medieval and early Italian Renaissance epoch. A particularly dramatic sentiment was also attributed to the deep red velvet cape with the relics of the heraldic golden glittering griffins / Scottish lions.

​Restoration and the Revival of the Legend

Legendary beetle wings stage costume, that Ellen Terry once was wearing, turned into the greatest challenge for a restorers of the 21st century. The total reconstruction effort was worth 110,000 pounds. After five years of responsible work, stage costume was restored with all 1000 beetle wing units embroidered on it. During that time restorers spent 700 hours of work trying to restore the former beauty of costume. Restoration process was completed in 2011. Once the actress Ellen Terry admired her stage costume that she was wearing as Lady Macbeth. Even the writer, dandy and celebrity of Aesthetic Movement - Oscar Wilde was so thrilled by its beauty! And finally, it was publicly on display at the Ellen's former abode - Smallhy the Place, where it came after many years of oblivion. ​

​As seen in the pictures above:​Lady Macbeth's costume restoration process and Ellen Terry on the stage

Costume Designer & Creator of the Unique Image ​

Ellen Terry, who was playing the role of Lady Macbeth, was creating also the impression of a peculiar hybrid - the Medieval Knight and the Serpent. The Costume, indeed, recalls symbolic dualism - synthesis of female warrior and snake - avatar which is represented in the role of Lady Macbeth. That is precisely the image designed by Alice Comyns Carr. She was a famous defender of Aesthetic Movement ideals, who at that time created many stage costumes. The materialization of the idea took place with the help of tailor Ada Nettleship. Importantly, the effort of represantatives of the Aesthetic Movement were focused on glorification of Medieval and Renaissance past. Their romanticized desires were contrasting with the impact of industrialization of that time. Being strict advocates and protectors of wildlife, aesthetes rejected sacrifice of beetles in the creation process of costume. But the beetles also weren't killed for their magnificent wings! The magnificent beetles, whose bright wings are used for decorations and costume jewelery, did not actually die. They periodically dropped wings, so the main task was a complicated process of collecting them, which was uneasy, especially for making such a lavishly decorated costume. However, the final result surprised, fascinated and led the audience to a distant antiquity which paved the fabulous imaginative scene.​

​​Did Ellen Terry and her contemporaries really made a resonance on the stage of the Latvian theater? Even if, it happened with a delay of several decades...?

The play "Fire and Night" (Uguns un Nakts) written by Latvian poet Rainis in 1911 was able to create quite a similar impression as it happened with Ellen Terry's iridescent green stage costume for her role of Lady Macbeth. The play "Fire and Night" and its femme fatale Spīdola in her dramatically dark and glittering stage costume appears to be a significant echo of the Shakespeare's drama of Lady Macbeth. Two actors played the complex role in the premiere: Tija Banga, then, alternately with her - Lilija Ērika. Since the two actors were very different, they also represented two different characters of Spīdola.

In fact, the Spidola's costume is really close to Lady Macbeth's glamorous, iridescent stage outfit. But its restraint look along with the elements of the luminous brilliance is a portrait of the Latvian string in the festive period of the Art Nouveau style, when the society was still addressing both - the form of expression of symbolism and the dramatic increase in feelings and even oriental mood.The play's "Fire and Night" scenographer Jānis Kuga, who was making decorations, had seriouslystudied at that time the not-so-familiar Latvian ethnography - ornaments, costumes, Latvian farmhouse architecture ... And eventually created a picture that was local emphasis on European moods and trends.

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Author

My name is Edīte Parute and I am a fashion historian and researcher from Latvia, association member at "The Association of Dress Historians" (UK) and author of the book "Stila un modes enciklopēdija"/"Encyclopedia of Style and Fashion" (2010) as well as author of many publications. Have a look around my website to see information about the things I do, and if you have any questions or suggestions regarding fashion history themes to add to my blog, please feel free to contact me! ​

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